Butterfly

Apr 4 2019 N/A 1h 20m
Documentary, Sport

Eighteen year old Irma Testa is Italy’s first female boxer to make it to the Olympics. It’s a remarkable outcome for a girl raised in one of the poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhoods of Naples.. The more Irma succeeds though, the more fragile she becomes. After a crushing defeat at the Games in Rio, she questions whether boxing is her future. She wants to chart her own path, but must first take a hard look at her personal life which she has avoided for so long.

Plot

When Irma Testa became Italy's first female boxer to qualify for the Olympics, the media descended on her without relent. Her story was simply too good to be true: a pretty, 18 year-old girl from one of Naples' most violent, Camorra-controlled neighborhoods who beat the odds and made history. Irma was portrayed as flawless and determined...she hid behind the facade and left for the Olympics. Her 78 year-old coach Lucio feared the pressure was too much and will never forget when she burst into tears mid fight in Rio de Janeiro. Irma returned to Italy without a medal and confused sense of herself. Her media crafted image was a lie and now that the spotlight is gone, Lucio is encouraging her to reflect. She has big decisions ahead of her. Is boxing really for her? Can she handle the pressure? Irma finally has the anonymity to chart her own course but feels she must first face the conflicts in her family and personal life so she can come to terms with herself and move forward again.

Written by

N/A

Directed by

Alessandro Cassigoli, Casey Kauffman

Cast

Irma Testa, Lucio Zurlo, Emanuele Renzini

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

Italy

Production Companies

RAI Cinema, Indyca

Languages

Italiano

Awards

2 wins & 1 nomination

Scores
# of Votes
76
Average Rating
7.5 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA